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Thursday, May 05, 2016

A cold but dry Spring

Last year (2015) was a shocker weather wise. I'd been lulled into a false sense of how things were in Cornwall as the previous Summer was one of the very best, but it rained almost non-stop here and elsewhere for about 9 months starting in April.

This Spring thus far has proved very different, It is cold but it is sunny and therefore Cornwall is reminding us of why we moved here.

We took a few weeks to recover from the North East India holiday/ordeal but then hit the ground running at the start of April, visiting one of the places I most wanted to see, Burncoose Nursery and Gardens. They have a Spring flowering garden that is spectacular, a lot of the blooms featured in a post this time last year but suffice to say the weather this time was notably different:

These reminded me of breakfast:

Burncoose really is a treat to visit from late March right through to June as the various trees and shrubs flower in the gardens. They do tea and coffee too when you need to shelter from a passing shower.

I'd like to claim the following sequence was taken over time but it's different flowers on a couple of trees in truth:

We also walked the outskirts of Trellisick Gardens, we didn't see many species but this Firecrest with nesting material was a delight:

I am keen to see as many species of butterfly this year as possible. A key local and indeed national site is Penhale Sands, with spectacular views:

My enthusiasm however was such that we were probably a good 2-3 weeks early and didn't see a single specimen. Doh!

We did see the emergence of some plant foods though, like this Kidney Vetch, so the butterflies won't be too far behind:

Another day another walk, this one a nine mile circuit from Coverack, along the coastal path and then inland. The coastal views are a delight:

And I am chuffed with the various lenses i have acquired over the years and finally being able to use them in anger.

A number of areas were at the very first stages of coming into bloom, I suspect a walk here again in a month or so will see much more colour to compliment the landscape. This is a Yellow Iris bloom, one of just a couple in a large swathe of the plants:

We've also walked locally with friends into Tehidy woods:

All the while with one eye on the development of the Bluebells:

We missed out completely last year and I was determined not to do so this year. The pinnacle of our viewing this year was just yesterday at Enys Gardens. It's a run-down estate and house and like every other house we've been to in Cornwall there are pheasants for shooting in the forest (why do they uniformly have to be monsters?) however the carpets of bluebells are spectacular to behold. And they're not properly out, I think the 2nd week of May will be best this year given how cold April has been.

What a view though:

At Enys Gardens they appear to be slowly converting the areas surrounding the bluebells into gardens that will prove attractive to visitors throughout the year, perhaps with any eye to raising more income this way. A large gang was working on the pond when we were there, ensuring various flowers had space to grow:

And a formal garden is being developed along with an orchard. A number of Tulips were in flower:

They do have a long way to go though. The walled kitchen garden is completely abandoned and a lot of the buildings are being left to rot. But it's worth a visit to see the Bluebells!

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About Me

I have a passion for wildlife and birdlife in particular. I am fascinated by the diversity and beauty of nature and worried by the impact of humans. This blog is my way of sharing my learning journey, including the (many) mistakes...